The present invention relates to a vanity case for use with make-up or the like. More particularly, this invention relates to an improvement of a vanity case of a type in which a receptacle member and a cover member are hinged together at the rear ends thereof and are arranged to be latched by snap engagement between a first latch tongue of the cover and a second latch tongue formed on an inner wall defining a recess which is formed in the front end of the receptacle to receive a push piece. The push piece is movable in the recess and is adapted to, upon rearward movement thereof, produce a force which urges the cover upwardly so as to release the engagement of the latch tongues.
A vanity case of the type set forth above is disclosed in, for example, U.S. Pat. No. 4,276,893 wherein the push piece is molded of relatively hard plastic material and includes an inner end portion and an enlarged outer end portion to form an inclined surface therebetween, the surface being inclined upwardly toward the outer end and abutting a lower end of a nose having the first latch tongue and extending from the lower surface of the cover when the latter is in a closed position with respect to the receptacle. Thus, pressing the push piece inwardly causes the nose to slide on the inclined surface, thereby urging the nose upwardly to open the cover.
In the above vanity case, however, the force acting on the nose has a direction perpendicular to the inclined surface and therefore includes a component of force in a horizontal direction, which component tends to urge the nose toward the inner wall of the recess where the second latch tongue is formed. It thus will be understood that a user would have to press the push piece with a relatively large force in order to open the cover since the component in horizontal direction tends to strengthen the engagement between the first and second latch tongues. This is not desirable in view of the nature of the vanity case.
Further, the usual size of the vanity case does not allow the inclined surface to be elongated to the extent that the push piece can lift the front end of the cover sufficiently for assuring smoothness of subsequent operation. Steep inclination would improve the situation but only with an increased force to be required for pressing the push piece.